Safe Return Range Mapping for Low-Compute Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems fail to provide both the currently reachable range and safe return range simultaneously due to high computational overhead, especially on mobile devices with limited processing power, leading to 'range anxiety' in users concerned about reaching a destination given fuel or charge constraints.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine a safe return range by estimating the parameter value at various locations relative to a destination node, comparing it with pre-determined boundaries, and identifying areas within which a vehicle can travel while reaching the destination, using a low computational overhead approach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods are used to determine the reachable area considering fuel load or charge level constraints, then the accuracy of range determination is improved, but the computational complexity increases significantly making it infeasible for mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the reachable area determination into two separate computational steps: first determining the departure reachable area based on initial parameter value, then determining the destination reachable area based on parameter value at destination. This segmentation allows each step to be computed independently with reduced complexity compared to computing the complete reachable area considering all constraints simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary computation of the departure reachable area and destination reachable area before final range determination. By pre-computing these boundary areas based on parameter constraints, the system reduces the computational burden of the final safe return range calculation, making it feasible for mobile devices with limited processing power.
2Loss of information
If the complete reachable area is computed considering all constraints, then the information completeness is improved, but the processing time increases making real-time navigation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reachable area computation into distinct components (departure reachable area, destination reachable area, and their intersection) that can be computed and stored separately. This allows the system to maintain complete information about reachable areas while reducing processing time by avoiding redundant computations during real-time navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary computation and storage of departure and destination reachable areas before real-time navigation queries. This pre-computation approach ensures that complete range information is available when needed, while the actual real-time processing only requires simple geometric operations on pre-computed data.
3Measurement precision
If separate computation of reachable area is performed, then the measurement precision is improved, but the computational overhead increases making mobile device implementation infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the reachable area determination into distinct computational tasks that can be performed efficiently: computing departure reachable area, computing destination reachable area, and finding their intersection. This segmentation allows mobile devices to perform each task with minimal energy consumption while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary computation of reachable areas and stores them for later use. This approach eliminates the need for repeated expensive computations during navigation, significantly reducing computational overhead and energy consumption on mobile devices while preserving accurate reachable area measurements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for determining and displaying an area comprising a plurality of locations that can be reached by a person or vehicle from a departure node or current position while still reaching a destination node or home location given the initial value at the departure node or current position of a parameter that constrains the distance travelable by the person or vehicle. The method may be implemented on a mobile device such as a portable navigation device and/or on a server or computer, or may be provided as a computer program product.